


Sugar

by chumimiista



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Fluff, Human AU, M/M, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29950452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chumimiista/pseuds/chumimiista
Summary: Nero's the head chef at a pretty well known restaurant in downtown. A new patisserie opens up across the way, so of course he has to check it out - but the owner is a drop-dead gorgeous guy, and maybe that kinda propelled him to offer a partnership too early in the game. He's turned down, and from then on they engage in a bit of friendly competition. What Nero really wants, though, is to get to know the guy better...And what better way to seduce him than with a handmade dessert from yours truly?--late bday gift for sushi3lover! happy bday friend!!
Relationships: Nero/V (Devil May Cry), nerov
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	Sugar

**Author's Note:**

> maria and i have a really awesome nerov patisserie/bakery/restaurant AU (there are like 2 of them i think unless they meshed together but we have so many AUs i forget LMAO) so i wrote this small piece for her AND I HOPE SHE LIKES IT!!!!

Nero carefully finished topping the dessert with a medley of raspberries and blackberries, then took a step back to observe his work. He’d made a creative decision to plate the round panna cotta on a small, rectangular plate, where it sat atop a fancily decorated berry puree. It looked a little empty, though; he added a couple more berries on the design and then whispered to himself, “Alright!” and stepped back again to admire his work.

The man across the street would surely find him worthy now, he thought. He tried to partner up with him once the patisserie had opened up shop, but the man refused; asked _why_ he should partner up with a restaurant when his business was doing just fine as is. It turned into a competition for them after that: who could rake in the most profits, Nero hiring an extra pastry chef to come up with more ideas for the dessert menu – he even started showcasing a new dessert every week to keep customers interested – anything he could to outdo the man across the street. He never learned his name, not even from the man’s employees! If they were that loyal, Nero could understand why.

He was amazing. Nero might’ve gotten caught up in the whole thing with how competitive he can be, but the man truly intrigued him. He was beautiful – had almost shoulder length black hair that always looked silky soft and sparkling green eyes; and on the few occasions over summer that he saw him in anything but a chef’s coat, Nero _loved_ his tattoos. They were swirly and intricate, and he often got lost while staring at them on his break which he conveniently took at the same time the owner of the patisserie took his breaks. Nero was terrible about being discreet, though; but the man merely smirked at him and waved whenever he noticed him watching.

Tonight was going to be special, though. Sunday was his only day off, so he’d come into the restaurant spontaneously, not really knowing why when there was no extra prep to be done. Well… he _did_ know why but wouldn’t admit to himself how much he really wanted to get to know the man across the street, even if the only way he could was by watching him from afar. The patisserie was only open for a few hours on Sunday with the man left alone to sell goods and bake more when needed.

Nero himself wasn’t great at making desserts – that’s why he had a pastry chef, for fuck’s sake. But this man’s creations were so superb that it made him want to impress him, hence the beautifully plated vanilla bean panna cotta sitting in front of him. With a deep breath and only ten minutes left until the man closed shop, Nero carefully took the plate in his hands and headed over.

The man’s smile was wide until he saw who had entered, then it turned into more of a smirk. “Oh, it’s you,” he said. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

Nero rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and cleared his throat. “Look, uh, I don’t think we got off on the right foot. Sorry for offering you a partnership, I just think you make some really great stuff and it’d be neat to sell it to my customers too. That’s not why I’m here though.”

The man looked at the plate in Nero’s hand and hummed, leaning forward on the counter as he tangled his fingers together and rested his chin on them. “Oh? What brings you in, then?”

“Uh… I think you’re uh, well.” Nero paused and looked at the man again before he had to shy away, rubbing beneath his nose; a terrible habit he had yet to break. “Dammit. It’s hard to talk to you.”

“Don’t be so shy, I won’t bite,” the man said; then with a large playful grin, he added, “Unless asked to, of course.”

Nero bit his lip, sure of the blush forming on his cheeks. But he’d come this far and refused to turn back. He stood up straight and took another two steps until he was right in front of the man to present his dish. “I know it’s not that fancy or anything, but I wanted to make something for you. You seem like a really uh… neat guy and I’d like to, uh… g-get to know you better.”

The man grabbed a sample spoon while Nero continued to blabber, digging into the panna cotta until he’d scooped off a large enough chunk to taste. It carefully went into his mouth where he savored it, his sharp chin moving as the dessert (hopefully) entertained his taste buds. “This has a pretty balanced weight,” he said after taking a second bite, this time with one of the blackberries. “The berries add a nice acidic touch to the sweetness of the vanilla bean. Did you really make this?”

“Yeah,” Nero said. He knew he was smiling too hard, but he didn’t really care because the man liked his dessert!

“Hmm. You made this dessert for me and want to get to know me better,” the man mused. With his deep, sultry voice mesmerizing Nero, he smiled and leaned closer. “Should I assume you’re asking me on a date?”

Nero huffed. He turned away, heart beating fast and blood pumping in his ears; his hands clenched into fists as he shook. “Wait, n-no, that’s… that’s not…” After a moment of panic, he sighed and slumped his shoulders forward in defeat. “Ok, yeah. Yeah, I kinda _am_ asking you on a date.”

Silence, then: “V.”

“What?”

“My name is V. Seeing as I’m off in about an hour, we can go catch a movie and dinner if you’re up to it.”

Nero blinked like the dumbfounded puppy he was. “Ok! Uh, do you want me to just come back when you’re done?”

V laughed. “No, I don’t mind you sticking around while I close up. Unless this is some clever ploy to rob me…”

Nero shook his head, “No, no, never! I’ll be good and just wait here in the storefront, promise.”

He didn’t miss the satisfied smirk on V’s plump, pink lips. Something told Nero he didn’t know what he was getting into – and yet he wasn’t really concerned about that. If V found something attractive in that statement he made, embarrassing and quick as it was, then it just made Nero even more eager to get to know him.

Dinner and a movie were a start; Nero had plenty of time after that to think about V’s pretty hair and tempting lips, and what he might do to them if this actually worked out.


End file.
